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Becoming Ultra

Becoming Ultra is all about that first Ultra. We follow other runners training for their first Ultra, interview race directors of Ultra's, talk training tips, and just about anything for that next, very long, step.
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Now displaying: Page 7
Jan 18, 2023

This is the first episode introducing the runners of Season 13. Delorean will be running his first 50 miler while he tends to family issues like raising young kids and his wife's cancer treatment as well as a busy work life. Chelsea will be running her first 50k in the state she grew up in and is looking to prove to herself what she is capable of. They are being coached by Scott and today's call captures their first time meeting as well. Enjoy the show!

Jan 17, 2023

Jennifer E. Rizzo is an ultramarathon runner and award-winning writer from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Her work has been published by Vanity Fair, Motherwell Magazine, and Moms Don’t Have Time to Write. She is a wife and mom to two humans and one dog and is trying to tame a newly adopted semi-feral cat.

We love a guest that when you are chatting it feels so comfortable and authentic. Jennifer is very honest about what it takes to balance family, career, and ultra-running. She shares what ultra-running adds to her life and how she uses it in all areas to improve. On this podcast we get into the hard choices it takes to accomplish your goals. We also talk about Jennifer’s 2021 and 2022 Riverlands 100 attempts. This is a great story! Jennifer shares her experience of crewing for a blind runner and how that has impacted her life.

IG - @jennifererizzo

Jan 14, 2023

Scotty Kummer Started Ten Junk Miles around the sane time we got rolling with Becoming Ultra.  We bounce around a bunch of topics on the show today from the uniqueness of the 100 miler he race directs to the importance of consistency in running and podcasting.  Enjoy the show!

Jan 10, 2023

Dusty Hardman was born and raised in New Jersey and lived in Boulder, CO and Victor, ID. She started running in Teton Valley, ID around 2007. Inspired by an interview with Lisa Smith-Batchen in Running Magazine Dusty started running. Starting with a marathon and within two years tackling the Bear 100 in Utah. Having health issues, it took Dusty a while to dial in her training, medications, and overall health. It didn’t take Dusty long to start tackling amazing adventures such as the Barkley Marathons, Badwater 146, Vol State and running across Florida from Coco Beach to Withlacoochie Bay on the Florida Trail. Dusty is one of only a handful of people to complete Badwater 146 and only the second woman. Dusty is inspired by all the amazing ultra-runners she has met and feels honored to toe the line, hang out with or even have so much in common with all of them. 

Dusty is one of those amazing unassuming athletes that you probably have never heard of. She has been setting big goals and having incredible adventures for a long time. On this episode we talk about what led Dusty to three Barkley Marathon attempts and the Badwater 146. Dusty also shares some great stories about meeting her ultra-running role models along the way.  We discuss health struggles and how that has affected her training and mindset. This one covers a lot; you will enjoy getting to know Dusty.

www.toughlovetraining.net

Jan 7, 2023

Recovery after any race or long effort can be different for everyone.  We brought on one of Scott's athletes from Sweden who ran through the cold and dark night to get her first 100 miler just a few days before this call.  We talk about the unique set up for the run, the charity, and what the goals are for recovery moving forward.  Hope you enjoy the chat!

Jan 4, 2023

Join Scott, Hillary, Annie, and Amanda as they choose the runners for Season 13 of the Becoming Ultra Project!

Jan 3, 2023

Matt Fitzgerald is an endurance sports author, coach, and nutritionist. His many books include The Comeback Quotient, 80/20 Running, and The Endurance Diet, How Bad Do You Want It and his latest book, On Pace, Discover How To Run Every Race At Your Real Limit. Matt’s writings have also appeared in numerous magazines, including Outside and Runner’s World, and on popular websites such as podiumrunner.com and nbcnews.com.  He is a cofounder of 80/20 Endurance  and the creator of the Diet Quality Score smartphone app. A lifelong endurance athlete, he speaks frequently at events throughout the United States and internationally. 

We always love talking to Matt. He has so much knowledge, we are always grateful to learn from him and share with you. On this podcast we discuss his latest book, On Pace, Discover How To Run Every Race At Your Real Limit. We talk about all things pacing, including: 

  • The inspiration for the book
  • Three key mental traits
  • Why pacing is so difficult
  • Do GPS devices help us or hurt us
  • Perceived effort
  • The mental side of pacing
  • How pacing applies to ultra-running

This book is a great reference book to have on hand. Grab a copy and enjoy the podcast!

Every runner stops getting faster at some point, but pacing is something that any runner can get better at indefinitely.

The true winner among competitive runners is not the swiftest but the happiest, and the happiest runner is the freest runner, and the freest runner is the runner who has most fully mastered the art of finding his or her limit.

 

Book available at:

80/20books.com

Mattfitzgerald.org

80/20endurance.com

Jan 3, 2023

From across the country, and world, applicants shared the reasons they wanted to be a part of the Becoming Ultra Project!  We will be choosing during the selection show so stay tuned. Thanks for listening.

Dec 30, 2022

Excuse the cheesy title but this is basically how it all went down. Bailey and Katie met on Season 10 of the Becoming Ultra project and became fast friends.  Today's show is a dive into why they both live a certain lifestyle when it comes to food and where we get our food.  More than the light debate, the lesson is that we can all get along with the biggest personal differences.  A good lesson for the world right now!  It's a great conversation and hope you all enjoy! 

Dec 24, 2022

You have put in so much work over this challenge.  If you completed it all I would love to hear from you so shoot me a message at becomingultra@gmail.com.  I want to know what your experience was like!

The 12th run is here!  We call this the grateful run..  The goal is to reflect on the things in your life you are grateful for and have fun doing it!   Every 10 minutes for 50 minutes you will focus on a different aspect to be grateful for.  I came up with this while visiting my family years ago and even recorded a video explaining.  You can watch it here if you like. 

 

I personally am grateful you are a part of this all!

 

The Grateful Run

1-10:  For a working body

11-20. For a working mind

21-30 for important people in your life

31-40 for important people you have lost

41-50 for your future

 

If you liked this challenge, maybe you'll like a year long one I came up with called the Be Ultra Year.  

 

In any case, 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and thanks so much!

Dec 23, 2022

On the 11th Run Of Christmas...

11 accelerations @ 100 meters

How it's done:

  • Warm up for a mile or 10 minutes.
  • You are going to run 100 meters at a time and then recover for a minute or so in between each. 
  • Know your body. If you haven't run fast in a while keep a governor on the top end pace. 
  • A football field is a great place for this but any straightaway will do. 
  • Start each effort like a plane taking off.  By the time you are at the 50 meter mark you should be at the max speed you will go for the effort.  Keep that high end speed for 30 meters and then tail off slowly for the last 20.
  • Focus on turnover and posture.  

This is a fun one to coach in person so you have to self manage this one to be smart and avoid any tweaks.  For some of you the peak pace is going to look like a sprint and for some it'll look like a fast jog.  Be sure to slow down slowly.  Meters can be interchangeable with yards as it is just a good way to visualize the effort!

See you tomorrow for the last and 12th run!

Dec 22, 2022

On the 10th Run of Christmas...

We hope you are enjoying this challenge.  The 10th run isn't necessarily hard but it is time consuming.

 

Go for a double digit run OR go for your longest run.  Go out and spend some time in the fresh air and have a good one!

 

If your longest run to date is 5 miles we would suggest to not add more than a couple miles. 

 

Enjoy the relaxed pace and the effort you have put into this so far!

 

Great work and see you tomorrow on the 11th day.

Dec 21, 2022

What happens when 6 runners race and run and crew each other all over the country when they come back to their home in Wasau, Wisconsin?  They create a killer backyard ultra of course.  Two of the six race directors and founders of Wasaultra came on the show to talk about how the race was conceived, their big goals in the future, and how it works with so many cooks in the kitchen. It was a fun sit down to just get to know some passionate RD's in the world of ultra running that we all love!  Enjoy the show.

Dec 21, 2022

On the 9th Run Of Christmas...

90 minute power hike

How it's done:

  • Today we are going to the ultra roots.  Being able to power hike for long periods of time is a huge skill for covering long distances.  The goal today is to power hike for 90 minutes and trying to stick to as close to a 15 minute/mile pace as possible. 
  • That's it. No running allowed. 
  • Record how much distance you covered for retesting!

It's tougher than it looks.  Try not to default to just a walk.

See you tomorrow for the 10th day!

Dec 20, 2022

On the 8th Run Of Christmas...

8x400's

How it's done:

  • Warm up with a half mile at 70% effort.
  • This is best done on a track. If you don't have access to a track then marking off the distance is ideal.  You should be able to run without looking down too much(watch/phone)
  • Run 400m, recover for 90 sec.
  • Do this 8 times.  The 400 is a tough 1-3.5 minutes for most of us. 

It's simple but it ain't easy.  Be strict on recovery.  The faster we run, the more efficient our form typically is so keep in mind the end goal is effort and running economy!

See you tomorrow for the 9th day!

Dec 19, 2022

On the 7th Run Of Christmas...

7x3x10:

How it's done: 

  • You are essentially doing 7 rounds of 10 minutes with the first 3 minutes of every set being all out.  
  • Round one is a warm up.
  • The pace for the last 7 minutes can be an easy jog or walk. 
  • The reason there is so much recovery is that the 3 minutes needs to be really tough. 
  • If you want to do on a track or treadmill it is a good set for that.  

This is another good one to practice active recovery in long efforts.  Think about running up a hill to have flat and downhill right after.  It's a good skill to work on!

See you tomorrow for day 8!

Dec 18, 2022

On the 6th Run Of Christmas...

A 60 minute effort at night(or in the dark)

How it's done:

  1. Run for 60 minutes in the dark.  
  2. If you live somewhere cold it is so hard to just get out there int he cold night or morning but WE can do it.
  3. Today is all about finding joy in running in a time or place you don't usually.
  4. Find a route with Christmas lights or a safe track.  
  5. Be careful and bring a friend if you can.
  6. Finish up with hot chocolate or a coffee!

Our comfort zone is meant to be pushed.  You've got this.

See you tomorrow for the 7th day.

Dec 17, 2022

On the 5th Run Of Christmas...

Run a 5k.

  1. Keeping this one simple so warm up for 5 minutes and go run a 5k 
  2. The goal is to push yourself and see what you got!

Many of you are going to justify the fact that you are sore, or tired, or don't like running fast and just go and get it done going through the motions.  The challenge today is to not think of anything but putting a good effort in. You've got this.

See you tomorrow for day 6!

Dec 16, 2022

On the 4th Run Of Christmas...

4 Lunge Miles

How it's done:

  1. You are going to do 20 lunges(10/leg) before every mile.
  2. Ideally you are doing step back lunges as they are easier to keep good form.
  3. The second your last lunge is complete you start running the next mile.
  4. 4 total miles and 80 total lunges

This is a great set to learn how to run on fatigued legs.  Think mountain efforts. We use sets like these for people training for mountain runs when they don't have access to mountains.

See you tomorrow for day 5!

Dec 15, 2022

On the 3rd Run Of Christmas...

3 progressively faster mile repeats

How it's done:

  1. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of movement.  Get the HR up and prep that body for a tough set.
  2. Mile repeats are typically running a mile at a high effort with minimal recovery(2-3 minutes)
  3. For this set you will run a mile at 70% effort then recover for 2 minutes, run one at 80% with 2 minutes of recovery and then run one more at 90%. 
  4. Most will do better running the first at effort then trying to speed up based on time for the next two.  For instance, you run the first at 70% and it is a 10 minute pace. Try to run the next at 9 m/m and the last at 8m/m.
  5. It won't be perfect but the goal is increasing the effort significantly every mile! 
  6. Because it is effort based the times don't matter, just that they get quicker. 
  7. Be strict on the recovery.  

This one helps learn pacing on a deeper level. Embrace it!

See you tomorrow for day 4!

Dec 13, 2022

Tracie Hunter is a certified running coach and business owner of IRG Training.  She has been running since the 90’s, and just completed her 30th marathon and 4th world major marathon at the Abbott World Age Group Championships in London.  She has also completed 2 ultra-marathons: a 50 miler and 100k and would like to someday complete a 100 miler.  She has been running for over 25 years, but her fastest marathons have all come in the last year.  

Tracie has been running marathons for years (she ran Boston 6x’s) and she is getting faster. We discuss how she has changed her training to make that happen and how her training has evolved as she ages. Tracie shares stories about some of her favorite marathons as well as where she is running next. Tracie is also a running coach and shares with us the joy and motivation that brings into her life. Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get slower.

IG- @indianarunnergirl

Dec 13, 2022

On the first Run Of Christmas...

 

Run a 20 minute time trial.  These are great no matter what fitness level you are bringing to the table.  Here is how it's done.

 

Warm-up for 5-10 minutes.  You should be close to sweating and your heart rate should be noticeably higher.  Here is a great warm up for this type of effort. 

 

Then, set your timer for 20 minutes and cover as much distance as you can.  Record the distance and make sure you run it somewhere that you could retest in the future.  

 

You aren't allowed to stop the time.  

 

This is a great exercise for a couple reasons.  First, it teaches you how to pace at high intensity.  Second, it gets rids of some of the anxiety for set distance time trials (think, 5k).  Lastly, most long distance runners are fine suffering for 10 hours but for 20 minutes, that's a different story.

 

Get after it and let us know how it went on the socials.  Just tag us on IG or FB!

Dec 13, 2022

On the second Run Of Christmas...

10x2:1 intervals.  

How it is done:

  1. The workout is to be a strict 30 minutes.  The warm up is built into the set.  
  2. You run hard for 2 minutes and easy for 1.
  3. The 1 minute interval can be a walk if needed. 
  4. The first 3 intervals should be easy and used to wake everything up.  
  5. By the time you get to round 4 you need to make the 2 minutes feel much, much longer with your effort. 
  6. Be strict with the time.  No extra recovery.  Each one will get cumulatively tougher.  
  7. You can record your overall distance but it isn't necessary. 

This is a great set when time is an issue.  If you can run as fast as you need for the intensity, use incline to get more work!

Enjoy and see you tomorrow for day three!

 

Dec 10, 2022

Join Scott as he catches everyone up on ways to engage and be a part of the Becoming Ultra community from year long challenges to hyper seasonal challenges and everything else!  Enjoy the show. 

Check out everything else here

Dec 6, 2022

Makinsie Bartholomew came from a background of triathlon. In high school she did swim team and track & field, and a handful of sprint triathlons. After graduating in 2011 she competed in half and full Ironmans. Makinsie completed her first Ironman in 2014 and then her first 50-mile ultramarathon in 2015. She had never done any trail races further than 13 miles and jumped straight to 50 miles. She has completed 4 Ironmans, 10 Half Ironmans, a 50-mile ultramarathon and the Bigfoot 200. Makinsie has a very supportive family and has her Dad to thank for getting her into trail running, together have been able to do some great ultramarathons. 

We have so many wonderful conversations but this was one of my favorites. Makinsie has an amazing attitude and a lot of grit. She takes us through her 2022 Bigfoot 200 finish with all the highs and lows that came along with it. Makinsie credits her Dad for getting her into trail running and shares many stories of their adventures together. We also talk about DNF’s in a positive light. We wrapped up the podcast and kept talking. We recorded this one on a Friday morning. It was a great way to kick off the weekend. Enjoy!

Find her incredible race report for the Bigfoot 200 here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TaqjqtoNnoqAiuClvqxGYFIHM9hqpnteyEJEzU3t4ds/mobilebasic

IG - @imkinsie

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